


Please brother burn me

by HelloThere3306



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Azula Gets a Hug, Gen, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26085712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloThere3306/pseuds/HelloThere3306
Summary: Azula was not evil so much as she was corrupted.
Relationships: Azula & The Gaang (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 403





	Please brother burn me

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do a scar reveal and Azula redemption and ended up doing it at the same time. It's more about Azula then the reveal though. /// Not beta read.

"Again."

When Azula was little, she spent a lot of time with her father. 

"Again."

"I'm tired. Can't we finish later?"

"Weariness shows weakness, Azula. Do it again, you must get it right."

Azula wished she could play with her mother and Zuko. She often saw them running together, her mother wearing a blue mask and chasing her brother through the courtyard while Azula trudged to the pavillion where she trained. But she also knew her mother hated her. She saw it in the way her eyes lit up when looking at Zuko, as if gazing upon a golden fire late into the night, and how they dulled in comparison when looking at her. And besides, her father said Zuko wasn't worth being around. He was too weak.

She was, however, allowed to play with Mai and Ty Lee. They were highborn, her father said, and good allies to have. So every week she got to play with them. Mai was sour and boring most times, but Ty Lee was fun and often played tricks with her. Mostly, Azula liked getting up to mischief with them. They were never caught anyways.

Azula ran through her forms again. She liked how the fire warmed her face and arms, like a hug. She only remembered being hugged once, when Zuko played with her in the sand at Ember Island. 

Azula was tired. 

"Ozai." Azula tripped over her feet as she became aware of the newcomer. Her mother. "May I borrow Azula?"

Azula looked to her father and stood a bit taller. He liked when she did that. 

He didn't look at her mother when he answered. "Bring her back after lunch."

Azula slipped away, following her mother down the steps and into the palace. Azula felt a sliver of anger bubble up. "Don't you know you're not supposed to interrupt while I'm training?"

Her mother looked down at her, smiling despite her sad eyes. Her eyes were always sad. "I wanted to eat with you today. In the garden."

Azula frowned, but said nothing.

Azula didn't usually go into the garden. Seeing the flowers made her angry, they always seemed to get more care then she did. She didn't think that was fair, seeing as she was more important and more beautiful and overall more useful than any stupid flower ever could be. Seeing the pretty little things made her wants to snip the petals off, but her mother liked them and if she interfered with her mother, Azula thought maybe Zuko would kill her.

In the middle of the garden was a little glass table, four chair poised around as if meant to seat four people. Four people would never be seated at once.

"Well, what's for lunch then?" Azula asked impatiently as she hoisted herself onto the seat. 

"The cooks will bring it out soon," her mother answered.

"That didn't answer my question."

Her mother only laughed and held her hand out across the table. Azula stared and grasped it tightly, suppressing a flinch at the differing temperature. Azula's hands were always hot, blazing like the fire inside her. 

Her mother's hands were cold.

~ ~ ~

Azula remembered the garden. When she was little, the flowers were beautious enough to make Azula jealous. Now, with no one to take care of them the flowers were only holding on slightly. One out of five flowers bloomed, and the others failed to thrive. 

Azula thought that would make her happy, but it only made her mad.

Zuko had replaced the tiny circular table with a long rectangular oaken one. It had enough seats for the avatars entire team and then some. Azula herself was seated on Zuko's right hand, with the kyoshi warrior named Suki across from her and The Avatar beside her. 

Presently speaking was the water tribe boy, Sokka. "-dao trained me for three days, and I'm pretty good if I do say so myself."

Zuko nodded. "I tried to get him to train me when I was eight but he turned me away. I don't think he wanted to train the Firelord's son."

Katara furrowed her brows in confusion. "Couldn't your father have commanded him to train you? He couldn't say no to that."

Zuko nodded. "He did...for Azula."

Azula felt all eyes turn to her and she shrugged. "I never cared much for toys. Swords were no different."

Sokka's mouth fell open. "You turned away that opportunity?"

Azula nodded blankly.

"Huh."

The Avatar - Aang - popped a pepper in his mouth. "If you had swords _and_ firebending, I don't think it would've been easy to get to Ozai."

Azula smiled at that. "It already wasn't easy."

Aang sighed at that. "Heh, no. I would have _way_ more scars," he waved his arms for emphasis. 

"While we're on the subject," Toph cut in, putting her chin in her hands, "why don't you tell us how you got your scar, m'lord?"

Zuko dropped his fork in surprise, quickly bending down to pick it up. He banged his head as he came back up, and for some reason that made Azula more angry at the little earthbender than it made her happy to see her brother get hurt. When had she begun caring? "Why is that any of your business, peasant?"

Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting. "It's okay."

Azula glared at the guests before turning her gaze to her food, nose upturned haugtily. She caught Katara's glare.

"Um," Zuko fiddled with the fork, "it was m-Ozai."

Suki gasped. "Ozai did that?"

Zuko nodded.

A barage of questions and remarks launched themselves at him, Azula couldn't tell what came out of who's mouth.

_Why did he do it?_

_What did you do?_

_I'm gonna kill him!_

Azula caught her brothers gaze momentarily. His golden eyes were sad.

Sad like their mothers.

Azula launched herself upright, hands braced on the table. "Burn me, Zuko!" 

The table fell silent, and Zuko's eyes, _his eyes,_ caught hers. "What," he asked, barely a whisper from his mouth. 

"I shouldn't have let him burn you, I shouldn't have let him banish you! I _need_ you to burn me!"

Zuko's face turned grim. "It wasn't your fault, Azula. You were eleven."

Katara gasped. Suki cautiously formed a half-question. "But that would make you...thirteen."

Zuko only looked at her, his gaze a confirmation on it's own. Then he turned back to Azula. "You couldn't have done anything."

"But I was _happy._ Father stood above you while you sobbed, I saw the flames, heard the screams, smelled the burning and all I could think was that you _deserved_ it, and you didn't, it was me who deserved it! I deserve it more now, please, PLEASE, BURN ME!" The last bit escaped her as a forceful screech, anguished and guilty. She sank to her knees, uncaring that eyes were on her. "I'm so _tired._ "

Weariness was weakness.

Azula sobbed. Her head tilted downwards but she couldn't see the dirt for the tears blurring her eyes. She felt someone step above her, and she expected to see Ozai standing above her, cold yellow eyes glaring into her in disappointment and hatred. 

But it was Zuko.

_Zuko._

She launched herself at him and they latched together, Zuko whispering of her worthiness.

And for once in her life, Azula actually did feel worthy.


End file.
